Mexico Auto Production Up 13% In September, U.S. Exports Slip

By Teresa Rivas

Mexico’s auto production jumped 13% to 253,444 cars and light trucks last month, according to the Mexican Automobile Association (Amia).

Yet that increase was due to domestic strength rather than U.S. sales, which saw some cooling demand in September. As MarketWatchreports, while exports slipped 0.1% last month to 193,350, exports to the U.S. declined 3.1%. Still, for the first three quarters of 2012, exports to the U.S. were up 11% year-over-year. Although Mexican vehicle rose 8.1% to 79,960, that figure is still below the pace seen before the start of the financial crisis.

Amia director Eduardo Solis warned that there were flashing “yellow lights” concerning the strength of the global economy, but remained upbeat in his forecasts: He expects overall exports this year to hit a record 2.35 million cars and light trucks, marking an increase of about 10% over 2011, which set the current record.

About Emerging Markets Daily

Emerging markets have been synonymous with growth, but the outlook for individual nations is constantly changing. Countries from Brazil and Russia to Turkey face challenges including infrastructure bottlenecks, credit issues and political shifts. Barrons.com’s Emerging Markets Daily blog analyzes news, data and research out of emerging markets beyond Asia to help readers navigate the investment landscape.

Barron’s veteran Dimitra DeFotis has been blogging about emerging market investing since traveling to India and Turkey. Based in New York, she previously wrote for Barron’s about U.S. equity investing, including cover stories and roundtables on energy themes. Dimitra was among the first digital journalists at the Chicago Tribune and started her career as a police reporter at the Daily Herald in the Chicago suburbs. Dimitra holds degrees from the University of Illinois and Columbia University, where she was a Knight-Bagehot Fellow in the business and journalism schools. She studies multiple languages and photography.